Washer.



E. B. STlMPSON.

WASHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, 19131 RENEWED NOV. 5. 1914.

1,148,911 Patented June 15, 1915.

WITNESSES.

iwfl q Application filed August 29, 1913, Serial No. 787,333. RenewedNovember 5,

v, A pron,

EDWIN BALL s'rnuPsoN, OF BROOKLYN, NEw YORK, ASSIGNOR r0 EDWIN B.s'rnursoN COMPANY, 0E BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WASHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. STIMPsoN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washers,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washers constructed preferably of a pliable,flexible or conveniently conformable material, that is, a material whichis non-resilient and inelastic, and so shaped that the edge-faceportions of the washer are arranged to be disposed within planes removedfrom the plane of the central portion of the washer, and

more particularly aims to provide a sheetmetal washer capacitated forutilization with an auxiliary member such as a gromet or rivet.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a washer so conformedthat a plurality of them may not become nested, one within another. Thisis preferably accomplished by arranging the conformations of the washerso that said conformations are partially established by a wall orsection of material substantially at right angles to the general planeof the Washer, or by otherwise constructing the said. conformations sothat a protuberance upon one washer can not be accommodated within arecess formed in the other; in other words, so that there can be noperfect face-to-face contact, with consequent adhesion, between two ofthe washers, whereby a plurality thereof will not, when stored within ahopper, become entangled in such manner as might prevent the readyselection or removal of a single one of the washers.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a washer for thepurpose described, so generally conformed that the characteristicconformation of one face thereof will be the substantial duplicate ofthe characteristic conformation of the other face thereof, whereby thewasher will be of a re-' versible nature.

A further object is to provide a sheetmetal washer forthe purposedescribed, so conformed that although constructed from thin stock itwill have an artificial effect of ed e-thickness calculated to preventit from ricfi'ng or sliding over another when a plurality of saidwashers are automatically or Specification of Letters Patent.

.are to be taken Patented June 15, 19115.,

1914. Serial No. 870,534.

otherwise deposited in any suitable feeding channel, gui eway or track,as it has been the experience that most successful feeding of washersconstructed from thin stock is accomplished when such washers have theirsaid efi ect of thickness on their edges, or as near their edges aspossible.

Still another object is to provide a washer for use with a gromet,rivet, or other auxiliary member, made of thin, readily deformablestock, having its outer edge-face portion defined between parallelplanes separated by a distance considerably greater than the thicknessofthe washer material, the central portion of the washer, about theopening thereof, being spaced from both of said planes, and the washermaterial being of substantially uniform thickness throughout. There isthus provided a sheet metal washer, having an interrupted surface andhaving the eflect of edge thickness, and the washer is dished on bothsides centrally; the cavity thus formed on one side of the washerprovides space between the washer and the opposed surface on which it issupported, for the end of the gromet, rivet or other member passinthrough the washer from the other side t ereof; so that as the rivet orgromet is upset, the upset portions will all be, as they should, on thefar side of the washer.

Other objects and aims of the invention,- more or less broad than thosestated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in partobvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of thefollowing arrangements of parts, and applications ofprinciplesconstituting the invention; and the scope ofprotectioncontemplated will appear from the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which as a part of this specification, andin which I have shown various of the many possible embodiments of thisinvention: Figure 1 is atop plan view of an associated fabric, grometand washer, the washer illustrating one of said embodiments; Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, taken on theline 2-2 of 1, and looking in the direction of the adjacent arrows; Fig.3 is a front elevation of said parts; Fig. 4 is a de velopment. in Ianof the washer shown in Fig. 1, partiaily broken away; Fig. 5 is adescription of the elements, combinations,

trated in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a top-plan view of another embodiment; Fig.7 is a transverse sectional view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6,taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6, and looking in the direction of theadjacent arrows; Fig. 8 shows in superposed relation two of thereversible washers illustrated in Figs. 4: and 5, with the projectionsof one of them opposite the corresponding depressed parts of another,showing how, by reason of the conformation of the projections anddepressed parts, any face-toface nesting engagement of the washers isimpossible; and Fig. 9 is a view, similar 'to Fig. 8, but showingwashers like those of Figs. 6 and 7.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral Views of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, 18represents a fabric or the like, 19 a gromet, and 20 a washerconstituting a possible embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 perhapsbest shows the usual manner of assembly of gromet, fabric and washer,from which it will be clear that when the central neck of the gromet isupset as shown, the fabric is gripped between the washer and gromet asillustrated. Washer 20 is here provided with a plurality of radiallyarranged corrugations as disclosed, ranging toward the central openingthereof, and while these corrugations may each be of the same depth atthe center edge as at the outside edge of the washer, it is preferred totaper them and'gradually decrease their depth and width as they approachthe center of the washer as illustrated. In any event, I prefer to makethe conformations so that the central portion of the washer, about theopening thereof, is spaced from both of the planes that include theopposite'ed'ge-face portions. In other words, the washer is in effectidentically centrally dished on both sides. It should be noted, mostclearly from Fig. 3 (as well as from Fig. 5) that the side walls ofthese corrugations may be substantially perpendicular to the main planeof the washer. Y From this it follows, as shown in Fig. 8, that theprojections of one washer cannot be entered into the correspondingdepressions of a similar washer; therefore nesting of two washers isimpossible. Of course, if the side walls of the corrugations were notperpendicular, the projections'of one washer could enter thecorresponding depressed parts of another washer, but preferably theconformations should be such that the entire opposed faces of the twowashers could not be in contact.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 6 and 7, which is of the embodimentsherein disclosed perhaps the most preferred, the

washer is provided as shown with a plurality of corrugations each in theembodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, except in therespect-that the corrugations of the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7are not arranged to radiate from the imaginary center 21 of the washer,but on the contrary, as disclosed, a prolongation of each corrugationaway from the outside edge of the washer would materially clear saidcenter 21. These corrugations may also be arranged in such manner thatof thin stock, identically centrally dished,

on both sides, and having its edge portion, at least, provided on oneside with a series of alternate projections and depressed parts, eachsuch projection having its counterpart depressed part on the other sideof the washer, each projection and depressed part having portionswhereby when the projections of one washer are brought into registrywith the depressed parts of a similar washer the washers will be heldout of faceto-face contact, whereby nesting of one such washer within asimilar washer is rendered impossible; and the fact that the washershave the effect of edge thickness makes it possible to feed them oneafter another down a slide without danger of overlapping and clogging.

Inasmuch in the above construction, and many apparently widely differentembodiments of my invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative .and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of theinvention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to-falltherebetween.

Having described my invention, what I- claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A washer for the purpose described made of thin stock and having itsedge portion provided with conformations each proof which is gen: erallysimilar to the corrugations formed as many changes could be made Ividing on one side of the washer a projection and on the other side acorresponding depressed part, each projection and depressed part havingportions whereby when the projections of one washer are brought intoregistry with the depressed parts of a similar washer the washerswill beheld out of face-to-face contact, so that nesting of one such washerwithin a similar washer is rendered impossible.

2. A washer for the purpose described made of thin stock and having itsedge portion defined by conformations each providing on one side of thewasher a projection and on the other side a corresponding depressedpart, each projection and depressed part having portions whereby whenthe projections of one washer are brought into registry with thedepressed parts of a similar washer the washers will be held outoffaceto-face contact, so that nesting of one such washer with a similarwasher is rendered impossible.

3. A reversible washer for the purpose described made of thin stock andhaving its edge portion provided on one side with a series of alternateprojections and depressed parts, each such projection having itscounterpart depressed part on the other side of the washer, eachprojection and depressed part having portions whereby when theprojections of one washer are brought into registry with the depressedparts of a similar washer the washers will be held out of faceto-facecontact, whereby nesting of one such Washer with a similar washerisrendered impossible.

4. A'washer constructed of substantially inelastic and non-resilientmaterial, having in its edge portion a plurality of corrugations, eachof provided with a sidewall substantially perpendicular to the generalplane of the washer.

5. A washer having in its edge portion a plurality of radially arrangedcorrugations, each of such corrugations being provided with a side wallsubstantially perpendicular to the general plane of the washer and thedepth of each corrugation decreasing gradually as it approaches thecenter of the washer.

6. A washer constructed of substantially such corrugationsbeinginelastic and non-resilient material, including a plurality ofcorrugations, the prolongation of each corrugation from the out sideedge of the washer passing outside the center of the washer, and eachcorrugation including a side wall substantially perpendicular to themain plane of the washer.

7. A washer for the purpose described made of thin readily deformablestock, having its outer edge defined between parallel planes separatedby a distance greaterthan the thickness of the Washer material, thecentral portion of the washer being spaced from both of said planes, andthe washer material being of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

8. A reversible washer for the purpose described made of thin readilydeformable stock, having its outer edge defined between parallel planesseparated by a distance greater than the thickness of the washermaterial, the outer edge portion of the washer being identicallysymmetrically distorted on opposite sides, the central portion of thewasher being spaced from both of said planes, and the washer materialbeing of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

9. A washer for the purpose described made of thin readily deformablestock, hav-, ing its outer edge defined between parallel planesseparated by a distance greater-than the thickness of the washermaterial," the washer material being of substantially uniform thicknessthroughout and having identical faces.

10. A washer for the purpose described made of thin readily deformablestock, and having its outer edge margin corrugated, forming an edgethicker than the thickness of the washer material and providing holdingportions on each face, the entire over-all thickness of the washer beingincluded within the planes between which the corrugated edges liewhereby the washer is reversible and either face thereof may be used tocooperate with a corresponding gromet.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

EDWIN BALL STIMPSON.

In the presence of WM. J. MURPHY, WILLIAM F. KOBILAK.

